One-piece self-bound pocket



P 29, 1964 a. L. BRILEY 3,150,382

ONE-PIECE SELF-BOUND POCKET Filed June 29, 1956 3Q //Vl/EN7'O Q= 29".6/405 L. 3/9/45) g 534 By WW United States Patent 3,150,382 ONE-PIECESELF-BOUND POCKET Gillie L. Briley, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to W. E.Stephens Manufacturing Co., Inc. Filed June 29, 1956, Ser. No. 595,010 1Claim. (Cl. 2-247) This invention relates to a one-piece self-boundpocket and its method of fabrication.

More particularly the invention pertains to a one-piece, continuous,self-bound pocket (in contradistinction to a conventional tape-boundpocket) and its method of fabrication. The pocket is formed of aone-piece blank folded, to form a swing-type pocket, about a verticalmid-line for side pockets and about a horizontal mid-line for hiptypepockets. The pocket blank is cut, so that when folded, one of the blankhalves extends beyond the edge (or edges) of the other half to define amarginally extending binding strip (or strips) corresponding to the seam(or seams) to be formed in the pocket before assemblage thereof with thegarment. The extent of the marginal strip is such that it can bedouble-folded and simultaneously stitched to form a four-thickness seamin a single sewing operation. The raw edges of the seam are thus broughttogether adjacent the edge of the pocket and self-bound by thedouble-folded and stitched marginal extension strip.

Swing-type-pocket construction has long presented serious problems indesign and cost to the garment industry. The stitching-and-turningmethod not only requires a second operation but provides a pocket havingundesirable fraying edges presented on the inside of the pocket.Single-stitching on an over-stitching machine produces a seam lackingsomewhat in attractiveness but is principally objectionable because thechain stitch inherent in such an operation tends to break and/ or pullout, producing a total failure of the pocket. The use of binding tape tocover the cut seam edges requires both additional material andadditional operations to anchor the ends of the applied tape.

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention toprovide a swing-type pocket formed of a foldable blank of suchconfiguration that one or more of its seam-forming edges provides abinding extension that can be double-folded and simultaneously sewed ina single operation to provide a self-bound pocket element.

This and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pocket blank for front or side pants pockets.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank of FIG. 1 folded and stitched to forma pocket element.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation in section taken on the line 33 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a hip-pocket-forming blank.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank of FIG. 4 folded and stitched to forma pocket element.

With reference now to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a one-piece pocketblank 11 preferably of fabric, is disclosed having a pair ofsubstantially symmetrically-shaped portions or panels 11a and 11b,symmetrically formed about the fold line 13. The panels 11a and 11b areprovided with substantially co-extensive mating marginal edges when thepanels are folded upon each other in super-imposed relation, as shown inFIG. 2. The entire marginal edge of the panel 11a, which is adapted tobe secured to the corresponding mating edge of the panel 11b, isprovided with an extension, such as strip 15, which is substantiallyuniform in width. This extension 15 is formed throughout the length ofthe marginal edge of the panel 110, which does not constitute any partof the fold line 13, any part of the pocket opening between the panels11a and 11b, nor the upper marginal edge which is adapted to be securedto the garment.

After the panels 11a and 11b are folded against each other about thefold line 13, the extension 15 is then double-folded, as disclosed inFIGS. 2 and 3. The extension 15 is folded once closely over thecorresponding mating marginal edge of the panel 11b, and folded againupon itself to form an outer portion or ply and an inner portion or plyincluding the raw edge of the extension 15 between the outer portion andthe panel 11b. The folded portions of the extension strip 15 arepreferably about equal, so that the raw edge of the strip 15 will be insubstantial alignment with the corresponding raw marginal edge of thepanel 11b, and both raw edges will be located at the outer extremity ofthe pocket 11 and completely enclosed by the strip 15. The marginal edgeconstruction disclosed in FIGS. 2 and 3, forms a seam S having afour-ply or four-panel thickness. The seam S is secured by a double rowof stitching 17, although any desired number of rows of stitching, moreor less than two, may be employed to secure the seam S.

The notches shown at 19 in FIG. 1 are conventional expedients forfacilitating the sewing of the pocket element of FIG. 2 into thegarment. The phantom-lineenclosed area in FIG. 2 represents the cut-backat 11d where the pocket attaches to the garment in a known manner.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 the numeral 21 generally designates the pocket blank,which has the outer and inner portions 21a and 21b, respectively,foldable about the mid-line 23 to form the pocket element of FIG. 5.Guter blank portion 21a is provided with the usual inside facing element25 secured by stitching 25a. The blank portion 21a has bindingextensions, such as extension strips 27, which when folded over andstitched into place by stitches 29, as shown in FIG. 5, form the boundseam S (having the same construction as the seam S in FIG. 3). While theextending margins 27 are shown as being formed on the outer pocketportion 21a, it is apparent that the same could be formed equally wellupon the inner pocket portion 21b if preferred.

The centrally and horizontally disposed part 30, secured over the endedge of the portion 211) by stitching 30a in FIG 5, is the welt facingof the pocket by which the same is joined to the garment, in a known andconventional manner. The optionally usable stitching 31 at the bottom ofthe pocket of FIG. 5 has two important functions: first, it provides aquick and effective manner of carrying the stitching operation to thesecond side of the pocket element without removing the pocket-blankmaterial from the sewing machine, and secondly, it provides additionalstrength for the pocket at the bottom thereof.

While I have disclosed certain preferred embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that many changes can be made in the size, shape,composition and arrangement of the parts and in the sequence and natureof the method steps without departing from the spirit of the inventionas defined by the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A garment pocket comprising a blank defining a pair of panels ofgenerally symmetrical shape, each of said panels including a roundedcorner edge and a generally straight edge extending upwardly therefrom,the first of said panels presenting a smooth continuous edge, while thesecond of said panels has a marginal extension at the bottom and cornerareas thereof, said blank having a 3 r 4 fold line which positions thegenerally straight edge of References Cited'in the file of this patentthe second panel inset -fr0mthe-generally *straight'edge U TED TAT ATENof the first panel, said marginal extension of said second panel beingfolded upon itself and then folded again to 111681387 Ggrard 1916 h 11 fht d f fi t 1 d a1v 1,87 2 Heath Sept. 13, 1932 e genera y mug 6 gen Sals pane an Q0 5 2,020,971 Silverstein Nov, 12, 93

